Container tracking system

• US 20080117040A1
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3Harris Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Celestech, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peel, John, Topping, Thomas, Gates, Tell
• Granted Patent: US 7,825,795 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.16
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

Shipping containers are networked for transferring data between the shipping containers. The shipping containers include sensors for detecting hazardous conditions associated with the shipping containers. The hazardous condition sensed by any shipping container on a ship is transmitted through the network to a satellite transmitter and/or a radio transmitter for reporting to a central database.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A shipping container, comprising:

a terminal to detect a hazardous condition associated with said shipping container and, if said hazardous condition is detected, to formulate an alarm signal indicating a national security condition;

a transmitter to transmit said alarm signal to at least one of another shipping container.

34. The shipping container according to claim 33, wherein:

said transmitter is comprised of at least one of a satellite communication adapter and a radio adapter.

35. The shipping container according to claim 33, wherein:

said transmitter connects said shipping container to an Ad-Hoc network.

36. The shipping container according to claim 35, wherein:

said Ad-Hoc network is at least one of a piconet network, an Ultra-Wide-Band wireless network and a Wi-Fi network.

37. The shipping container according to claim 35, wherein:

said Ad-Hoc network is a hard-wired network.

38. The shipping container according to claim 35, wherein:

said Ad-Hoc network is a wireless network.

39. The shipping container according to claim 33, wherein:

said transmitter communicates with a cell phone communications network.

40. The shipping container according to claim 33, wherein:

said transmitter transmits said alarm signal to a central database.

41. The shipping container according to claim 40, wherein:

said central database verifies a content of said first shipping container against a shipping manifest database.

42. The shipping container according to claim 33, wherein:

said transmitter is adapted to transmit to a line of intermediary communications buoys placed at sea at appropriate locations to detect said alarm signal at a safe distance from port facilities.

43. The shipping container according to claim 33, wherein:

said alarm signal indicates a breach of said shipping container.

44. The shipping container according to claim 33, wherein:

said alarm signal indicates a hazardous substance is detected within said shipping container.

45. A method of detecting a national security condition of a shipping container, comprising:

detecting a hazardous condition associated with said shipping container and, if said hazardous condition is detected, formulating an alarm signal indicating said national security condition;

transmitting said alarm signal to at least one of another shipping container.

46. The method according to claim 45, further comprising:

detecting changes in radio frequencies signal multi-path to detect additions and remove of said shipping container from a ship.

47. The method according to claim 45, wherein:

said transmitting attempts to transmit said alarm signal from said shipping container to at least one of a satellite data path, a radio data path, and a shipboard system.

48. The method according to claim 45, wherein:

said transmitting transmits said alarm signal over an Ad-Hoc network.

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein:

said Ad-Hoc network is a hard-wired Ad-Hoc network.

50. The method according to claim 48, wherein:

said Ad-Hoc network is a wireless Ad-Hoc network.

51. The method according to claim 45, wherein:

said alarm signal indicates a breach of said shipping container.

52. The method according to claim 45, wherein:

said alarm signal indicates a hazardous substance is detected within said shipping container.

53. A system for detecting a national security condition of a shipping container, comprising:

means for detecting a hazardous condition associated with said shipping container and, if said hazardous condition is detected, formulating an alarm signal indicating said national security condition;

means for transmitting said alarm signal to at least one of another shipping container.

54. The system according to claim 53, further comprising:

means for detecting changes in radio frequencies signal multi-path to detect additions and remove of said shipping container from a ship.

55. The system according to claim 53, wherein:

said means for transmitting attempts to transmit of said alarm signal from said shipping container to at least one of a satellite data path, a radio data path, and a shipboard system.

56. The system according to claim 53, wherein:

said means for transmitting transmits said alarm signal over an Ad-Hoc network.

57. The system according to claim 56, wherein:

said Ad-Hoc network is a wireless Ad-Hoc network.